Burkina Faso leader ‘will cede power’ to transitional body

Burkina Faso’s army will quickly cede power to a transitional government and appoint a new head of state, the country’s interim President, Isaac Zida, said on Monday, looking to calm accusations that the military had seized power in a coup.
Longtime president Blaise Compaore stepped down on Friday following two days of mass protests in the impoverished West African nation over his bid to extend his 27-year rule by amending the constitution, Reuters reports.
On Saturday, the military appointed Lt. Col. Zida as provisional head of state, drawing criticism from opposition politicians, the African Union and Western powers who want to see a swift return to civilian rule.
The AU, whose democratic charter binds its 54 member states to take action against coups on the continent, applied more pressure on the Burkina military on Monday, giving it an ultimatum to hand back power to a civilian administration within two weeks or face sanctions.
Former colonial power France, which bases some of its Special Forces in the Burkina capital and is the country’s main bilateral donor, called on all sides to reach a swift deal.
“To this end, an interim civilian head of state must be appointed rapidly to lead the country to elections,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement.
Zida told a gathering of diplomats and journalists in the capital Ouagadougou that executive powers would be passed to a transitional government, in accordance with the constitution.
“We are going to move very fast, but be careful not to commit a mistake that might damage our country,” he said.